title: Diagnostic yield and safety of endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of central mediastinal lung masses.
abstract: Background and Aims. EUS-FNA is an accurate and safe technique to biopsy mediastinal lymph nodes. However, there are few data pertaining to the role of EUS-FNA to biopsy central lung masses. The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic yield and safety of EUS-FNA of indeterminate central mediastinal lung masses. Methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database; noncomparative.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center. From 10/2004 to 12/2010, all patients with a lung mass located within proximity to the esophagus were referred for EUS-FNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  EUS-FNA diagnostic accuracy and safety. Results. 73 consecutive patients were included. EUS allowed detection in 62 (85%) patients with lack of visualization prohibiting FNA in 11 patients. Among sampled lesions, one patient (1/62 = 1.6%) had a benign lung mass (hamartoma), while the remaining 61 patients (61/62 = 98.4%) had a malignant mass (primary lung cancer: 55/61 = 90%; lung metastasis: 6/61 = 10%). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS-FNA were 96.7%, 100%, and 96.7%, respectively. The sensitivity was 80.8% when considering nonvisualized masses. One patient developed a pneumothorax (1/62 = 1.6%). Conclusions. EUS-FNA appears to be an accurate and safe technique for tissue diagnosis of central mediastinal lung masses.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Service, University Hospital Ramon y Cajal, 28801 Madrid, Spain ; Gastroenterology Service, University Hospital Quiron, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Sequeiros
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Domselaar
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Panizo
authors.forename: Jose Ramon
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Foruny-Olcina
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boixeda-Miquel
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Juzgado-Lucas
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albillos